Jason Gavin today attacked the "joke" red card that will rule him out for part of City's critical Christmas run.

The Irish centre-half was sent off at Wigan as Bryan Robson's side slumped to their third 1-0 loss in a week.

Gavin now misses the home game against Coventry on December 28, as will Michael Branch, who picked up his fifth yellow card for time-wasting after being substituted.

With Dean Windass out of Saturday's clash with Rotherham, Robson's resources are being hit at a time when City must pick up points.

They are now eight adrift of safety at the halfway point of the season.

Gavin was fuming at referee Andy Penn's decision to send him off for two bookings. The first was for dissent, the second controversially after he grabbed the ball before a free-kick while Penn was lecturing Peter Atherton.

Gavin said: "He sent me off because I picked up the ball and walked away, it was as simple as that.

"I thought it was for throwing the ball at Peter but the ref said it was because I had picked up the ball. It's a joke just like the first booking.

"We had defended really well but my sending-off probably cost us the game."

Robson chose his words carefully about Penn.

"I'm disappointed with the referee's performance," he said. "It's not as if Jason Gavin was wasting time. He was walking away with the ball which most players do at a free-kick.

"The referee never asked Jason to give the ball back and just sent him off. I just found it incredible and that's why we lost the game - we were going to get at least a point out of it up to then.

"I thought Wigan were a whirlwind in the first 15 minutes, but for the rest of the game they weren't really a threat.

"That's three games on the bounce we've come away with nothing. But we'll pick ourselves up, work again in the week and I'm sure we'll turn things round because we'll start getting the breaks."